Creator Explores New Role As Comedian, Eligible Single
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
APRIL 2015 SAR VER Y I N N A FABULOUS YEARS I S S U E Del ShoreTHE WORLD ACCORDINGs TO ‘SORDID LIVES’ CREATOR EXPLORES NEW ROLE AS COMEDIAN, ELIGIBLE SINGLE LIFE INTERRUPTED: A CAUTIONARY TALE OF LOVE & HIV GET IN STEP WITH DESERT WONDER WOMAN JUDITH FEIN 6+/' 9+000 '4 National Retailer of the Year Award California’s Largest Selection of Wine, Spirits and Beer Under One Roof – at the Lowest Prices! 2014 Retailer of the Year Total Wine & More®. The selection is incredible. Each of our stores carries over 8,000 different wines, 3,000 spirits and 2,500 beers. With over 110 superstores, we have the buying power to bring you the best wines at the lowest prices. Our wine team is the best trained in the industry. Just think of them as tour guides guiding you through the great wine regions. They are committed and dedicated to bringing you the Total Wine Experience.™ PALM DESERT Desert Crossing Shopping Center 72339 California Hwy 111 Get Sociali l With Us Palm Desert, CA 92260 TotalWine.com CONTENTS APRIL 2015 22 36 14 ON THE COVER 36 Suddenly, last fall One man’s heart-wrenching experience with love and loss leads him to advocate for HIV testing. 40 Breaking rules & pushing limits Del Shores has never been afraid to speak the truth, whether it’s on screen or social media. This month, he returns to Palm Springs to reveal the humorous chaos of his life on stage at The Purple Room. 48 Doctor of defense Judith Fein, Ph.D., sets out to arm the desert’s LGBT community — and anyone else who’s interested — with the best moves to defend themselves against haters. 4 DESERT OUTLOOK | APRIL 2015 CONTENTS APRIL 2015 CULTURE 14 The Chat She’s a rebel and the queen of perseverance. Singer Darlene Love finally reaps the awards of a lifetime of entertaining music lovers. 18 Buzzworthy Ross Mathews gets all judgy, Andy Cohen conquers more airwaves, and designers plan Queer Fashion Week. 22 Muse Gary Paterson speaks his own language of art, starting with geometric shapes as the alphabet. 28 Design Insider Why create the perfect (some say sterile) mid-century modern interior, when mixing patterns and textiles can add vibrancy and character to your home? 34 In the spotlight One Night Only presents live performances of songs of the 1960s, providing a glimpse at how the decade changed American culture. THE OUTLOOK 46 News Desert AIDS Project provides a home for sexual health ser vices, and Equality California supports Hillary Clinton’s return to the White House. PEOPLE 52 My Style Looking to put a ring on it? You’ve got a couple of new and uniquely different options in Palm Springs. 54 Private Parts Whether you’re coupled or single, our relationship experts say you could benefit from getting dressed up and going on a date. DATEBOOK 56 Calendar Tune in to Moby, take your dog to the movies, or get your groove on at various Coachella Valley’s music festivals. 62 Gadabout March 7 was a red-letter day for The LGBT Community Center of the Desert. See who turned out for the occasion in sexy, creative getups. 64 Our Pick Luke Yankee returns to Desert Rose Playhouse with more tales about his celebrated mother and her famous Hollywood peers. 6 DESERT OUTLOOK | APRIL 2015 THIS LIFE FROM THE EDITOR PHENOMS & VISIONARIES Every once in a while a pop-culture phenomenon occurs that resonates with large segments of the LGBT community. Judy Garland, Cher, Madonna and Lady Gaga come to mind in the music arena, though our fascination with them goes beyond their music. And then there’s what we watch, the TV shows that either refl ect who we are or TV shows that either refl ect who we are or entertain us or both. “Will & Grace,” “Queer as Folk” and “Orange is the New Black” are a few. Of these game-changers, Del Shores had a hand in crafting at least one. He was a writer for “Queer as Folk,” the unapologetically sexual gay drama that aired from 2000 to 2005. Right around the time the show premiered on the Showtime network, Shores was producing and directing a screenplay he’d adapted from a little play he wrote called “Sordid Lives.” The fi lm — about a gay son who returns to small-town Texas to come out to his funny, eccentric PHOTOGRAPHED BY ROB LEBOW ROB BY PHOTOGRAPHED family — caught on quickly in Palm Springs. It was screened at Camelot Theatres for more than 90 weeks, and Shores often gives credit for the fi lm’s enduring cult status to its desert fans. To show his appreciation and bask in the love, he frequently returns to Palm Springs to present new projects. His “Sordid Lives: The Series,” “Blues for Willa Dean” and “Southern Baptist Sissies” were showcased as a part of Palm Springs fi lm festivals or events. Some of Shores’ loyal crew of actors have been adopted by Palm Springs residents as well. Leslie Jordan, Emerson Collins and Ann Walker have appeared at other local entertainment and charitable events. And David Steen and Bobbie Eakes are desert residents. Recently, Shores has visited to perform in a diff erent role. He’s presented his stand-up comedy at Copa, Georgie’s Alibi Azul Patio, and various other venues. On April 30 and May 1, the consummate storyteller will perform new material at The Purple Room Restaurant and Stage. Shores reveals in our cover story on page 40 how he got into stand-up, plans for a highly anticipated “Sordid Lives” sequel, and re-entering the dating scene in his 50s. On page 48, Judith Fein provides tips that LGBT people of just about any age can use to defend themselves. The veteran self-defense instructor and founder of the EVOLVE Institute for Violence Prevention recently moved to the Coachella Valley, where she hopes to continue sharing her skills. In February, Allan Joy shared important lessons he learned from his husband’s death during the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards Gala. He recounts the sad but ultimately empowering tale for Desert Outlook readers on page 36. It is Joy’s hope that his story will inspire others and prevent senseless loss of life. Another inspiring story is Darlene Love’s recent triumph in entertainment. The gifted vocalist literally gives a voice to anyone who’s ever felt like the underdog. Get to know Love on page 14 before you see her perform in early May at the AIDS Assistance Program’s Evening Under the Stars. On the lighter side, we’ve got pretty things to enhance your living space and your wardrobe. Design Insider Kurt Cyr shows us on page 28 how to fi nd the beauty in mixing patterns and textiles, and even how a bit of clutter can add character. On page 52, Palm Springs jewelry designer Ryan Berit presents one-of-a-kind gems for men and women, while jewelry curator Laurie Weitz selects items to espouse a message of affi rmation for LGBT residents and visitors. If you’re looking for an event where you can wear these dazzling creations, check out our monthly calendar on page 56 and subscribe to receive free weekly updates in email at DesertOutlook.com. Thanks for reading. Will Dean, Editor [email protected] 10 DESERT OUTLOOK | APRIL 2015 VOLUME 04 | ISSUE 01 EDITOR Will Dean MAGAZINE DESIGN Chelsea O'Donnell CONTRIBUTORS Victor S. Barocas Kurt Cyr Lani Garfield Lawrence Karols Rob Lebow David A. Lee Nina Ruedas Daniel Vaillancourt Winston Wilde Darby Wright PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER Mark J. Winkler EXECUTIVE EDITOR Greg Burton SENIOR EDITOR Kate Franco MARKETING MANAGER Steven Henke ADVERTISING SALES (760) 778-4660 CONTROLLER Sherri Maurer DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION Mark Kurtich CONTACT US ONLINE TWITTER (760) 778-4599 Desertoutlook.com @desertoutlook Facebook.com/DesertOutlook ON THE COVER Independent film and TV director, producer and writer Del Shores of the “Sordid Lives” franchise plans to bring his new stand-up comedy routine to Palm Springs. Photographed by Rob Lebow. 12 DESERT OUTLOOK | APRIL 2015 CULTURE love's revivalVETERAN SINGER DARLENE LOVE SOARS, PLANS PALM SPRINGS SHOW BY WILL DEAN chronicled the dreams, achievements and frustrations of backup singers. The film was critically acclaimed, Darlene Love has had the type of career you might nabbing an Oscar Award last year. With it, Love was re- expect to find prominently featured in a history of rock ‘n’ introduced to generations of music fans in a big way. roll. But until recently, her contributions were relatively Not since Tina Turner resurfaced in the mid-1980s to unknown or relegated to footnote status. have the biggest success of her career—after fleeing an Starting in the ’60s, Love became known as the go-to abusive domestic relationship—has there been a music backup singer for chart-toppers who helped to define industry revival as inspiring as Love’s. And like Turner, popular music of the 20th century, ranging from Elvis whose story lit up movie screens as “What’s Love Got to Presley and The Beach Boys to Sonny and Cher, Sam Do with It,” a feature film about Love’s life also is in the Cooke and Aretha Franklin. Few music lovers know Love works. also had her own No. 1 song with “He’s a Rebel,” which Love recently spoke with Desert Outlook about the she recorded in 1962 with The Blossoms. She was denied movie plans, closing the gap between stardom and credit for singing the lead vocals by producer Phil Spector, background singing, and what the audience can expect who promoted it as a song by The Crystals.